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TAIL OF
THE DOG

Peonies

y daughter travelled to a beauty, happiness and wealth, so are Amazingly, there are now growers
wedding in France at the end a good omen for a happy marriage. in South Africa too. Parts of the
Mof September. The bride’s They are also the traditional flower Highveld, the KZN Midlands, the
mother insisted that she bring with her for a 12th wedding anniversary. The eastern Free State and the higher
as many peonies as she could fit into main growers there are from Alaska, regions of the western Cape are
her suitcase. Peonies are extremely where the cold winters are ideal for suitable for peonies. The mother of
exotic flowers; 40% of the world’s cut this plant, which needs at least 20 – the bride had done her homework –
peonies are grown in Holland. This 40 days of temperatures from 0ºC to I wondered at the time why she did
was a strange request, as they are not 4ºC as part of its annual cycle. not ask her other daughter, who lives
commonly grown in this country. My in Holland, to get the flowers there.
daughter found and bought 50 long- They were the national flower of It was out of season for Europe. I
stemmed dark pink peonies, all still China in earlier times (replaced have noticed this year how peonies
in bud. We wrapped them carefully today by the plum blossom), and are much more available, and not
and she delivered as promised. The were cultivated there as far back always fiendishly expensive. This
flowers were spectacular, and the as the seventh century BCE. From means that these sumptuous flowers
appreciation for this costly request the 11th century they were found in can come into our homes more
made it well worth the effort. Japan, and travelled to England and often. Could South Africa become
France in the 18th Century. They an exporter of these blooms for the
Peonies are sought after as wedding became popular in the USA in the late winter brides of Europe?
flowers, especially in America, where 1800s and early 1900s. Today there
the flowering time there is from June are over 6500 varieties grown in the
to September, prime wedding season. States, ranging from herbaceous
They symbolise love and romance, plants, to tree and fern types. Gill Butler

VENUS

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